Wednesday, March 23, 2011

We’re sad to share the news that our dearly loved Tucker lost his ongoing battle with cancer yesterday. As you all know, “the Big Guy” was bigger than life, not your average kitty, and a huge, irreplaceable part of our lives. In 1996, Judy nursed him as a 1 week old, 168 g kitten found abandoned on the premises at work and nurtured him to become a very social cat who loved being with people and being the center of attention.
Judy also instilled in him a highly unusual love of traveling. His frequent flyer mileage was impressive, as he changed residences across 5 states, always taking it in with dignity and a great deal of awe as he soaked up novel stimuli in his environment. Many of our best memories are associated with his love of traveling -- his being the “best cat” at our wedding in Vermont, watching his eyes get big when we drove through the local Christmas light displays (particularly when music was playing and things were moving--the gaudier the better!), the road trips during which he was the “top cat” (i.e. only cat) and was particularly at peace with the world sitting on Judy’s lap, watching the trucks roll by and the people waving at him. He was particularly fond of stops at drive-through restaurants, and looked forward to our summer visits to the local Dairy Queen.
We will also miss seeing him voraciously devour tomatoes, watermelon, and cat treats, and the morning ritual when he would show up like an alarm clock in the kitchen to receive his daily insulin injection (actually, it was the decoy tablespoon of baby food and attention that he was looking for!).
Over his lifetime, he showed a resilience that was astounding, having dealt with two broken legs, the near devastating consequences of an abdominal obstruction that necessitated a feeding tube for a month, diabetes for the past 7 years, and most recently, his cancer. Although we struggled with the decision to have his hindlimb amputated last June, it turned out to be the right thing as Tucker, true to form, bounced back from the surgery as well. We will never forget bringing him home the day after surgery and seeing him motor over to the food bowl, once again rapidly adapting to changing conditions. He had a quality 9 months since the surgery, and he had a great day last Friday, as it was 70 degrees outside, he laid on the patio soaking up the sun, toddled around the yard, pooped in the mulch, and enjoyed a plate of the best tomatoes we could find in Maryland in March. That was the spirit of the Big Guy that will always be with us.
Judy & John
B. Ruisi donated to DCIN in memory of Tucker's most awesome spirit. Fly free, dear one.